Dreams
by Picture of perfection
Summary: Can you ever trluy trust what you think you saw? Alternative ending for s2, and my version of s3. s2 spoilers. I suck at summaries!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi. I'm probably not the only one who is unbelievably disappointed with the series 2 finale, and have therefore written my own version**** of what series 3 would be like if Dominic was fired, and they hired me instead. (Hint Hint BBC!!!)**

**I won't reveal too much, just that I'm a HUGE RobinMarian shipper, so…….. ******

**Series 2 spoilers, so if you haven't seen it, then don't read this unless you want to be seriously spoiled!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood or any of the characters (at least not in this chapter). They belong to British folklore and Dominic whatshisname**

**Comments appreciated, flames will be torn up, and fed to Gizzy in the beginning of my torture session!!!!!**

"_**Some dreams are the nightmare kind, the kind that bring all of your worst fears to the surface. These are not real dreams. They are figments of your imagination. The real dreams are the ones we work towards- that job you want, that lifestyle you want, or that one true love of your life"**_

……………………………………………………………………………

The voices were back.

Barely audible, just on the edge of his consciousness, where the annoying memories and

forgotten names lurked.

This was the second time he'd heard them in……. well, a while- the time wasn't quite definite in his head. They were different this time round, but only just so that you'd notice. There had been more the previous time, higher pitched, more worried. They were calmer now, a slight edge of panic still remaining, but definitely more relaxed.

He realised that there must be something slightly wrong with him if he was being this methodically observant. He wondered momentarily where these skills had come from before he remembered. Marian. In the early days, when he had sat outside her window, waiting for her wake up so that she would come out and ride with him. Later, when he had listened for the moment when Gisbourne finally left, so that he could he could have a moment alone with her, if only to talk of some trivial matter. More recently, after her father had passed, listening out for her quiet sobs in the darkness. It was at these points that he would get up, tiptoe across to her bed, and hold her. She never complained about his being there, never mentioned that an unmarried couple should not share a bed, she simply collapsed onto the bed, and let him hold her all night long. Because of her, he had been able to hear when Gisbourne and his friends had sneaked into the camp in Acre (he knew it was Guy, even if she would not believe him). Marian. It was strange how one word can trigger such a response in someone. He rolled over, almost expecting to feel her warm body lying next to him, breathing gently, and instead found only the rough material of his bed.

That was another difference. It had been soft the first time, the time with the worried voices. Sand? The Holy Land? His mind still wasn't functioning properly, and yet slowly he was becoming more aware of his surroundings. There was less light here, a slight rustling in the background. The voices were becoming clearer, but separate words still couldn't be picked out.

It seemed that someone had been very aware of him aswell, for suddenly he felt a hand grab his shoulder, a gentle shake, then a rougher one. He responded accordingly, moaning like a small child woken from his sleep.

A small cry of excitement, a call out for someone. That voice. High pitched, anxious…..Much! His manservant swam hazily into view, along with the trees and bushes that made up his home. Home. The horrors of Acre seemed a million miles away, if not further.

Much's call for help had obviously been heard, as Allan and John came running down the hill, nearly slipping on the permanent layer of leaves scattered on the floor.

"What, we go away for two minutes, n' you decide to finally wake up?"

"Allan, just be quiet," the larger man replied, surveying his leader with a somewhat nervous look.

For Robin had stopped listening to his friends, and had entered the maze of mind once again. Flashes. That was all they were, and yet slowly they were putting themselves back together. Acre. The King. The Sherriff. The plot. Djaq. Will………Marian.

Only three people around him, three missing. It had been real!

And to the surprise of his comrades, Robin Hood burst out crying.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

It was true. She was dead. They had stayed behind. His frienends were still standing around him, and yet he didn't care. Three of the people he cared about most in the world were in a foreign country miles and miles away. And Marian, his Marian, his wife! She was lying in some grave, a mere pit in the sand. Certainly not a fitting end for a noble woman, especially not one that he loved so much. Edward would kill him if he were still here. She deserved so much better, but he'd been in such a rush to get away from the horrible place, the place of so many bad memories, that he hadn't cared.

The tears carried on flowing freely, much to the shock of the men crowded around him. This was Robin, a man who they'd known for years, who they trusted with their lives, who had helped them out of so many tight spots. Who was sitting here, crying like an infant.

"Allan, go and fetch help. Now!"

"What's the point Much? Something's wrong, and I don't think that a spoonful of medicine is going to help!"

"Well how do you know if you won't even try?"

"If you're so worried about him, then go yourself!"

"No, he needs me here!"

"Much, he doesn't even know we're here!"

"Lazy."

"Whinny"

"Greedy"

"Bad cook, Teacher's pet.."

"Traitor!!"

"STOP"

The two men turned to look at the giant, both glancing at their feet in shame.

"Alright, now Allan, go and fetch someone, he clearly needs to be looked at. Much, I can see that you are worried about him, but maybe you should try and make us all something to eat?"

There were small nods, tiny signs of agreement, murmured apologies, before Allan walked off, followed by the call of "I think they're in the cave!"

Robin's sobs had now ended, and he simply sat on the cramped bed staring at his feet. She was gone, and it was his fault. She'd nearly died last year, and been captured countless times all because of this pathetic stubbornness. And now she really was gone. He slowly became conscious of the strange looks he was receiving, and attempted a weak, watery smile. It was obvious that neither man believed this pathetic attempt at happiness, so he simply turned around, staring at the simple wooden structure surrounding him. Will, the man had been a genius with wood, even better than his father before him. Now happy, in some far off land with Djaq. Djaq. An amazing fighter, honest to a fault. He hoped that they would be happy- it certainly seemed that they would be, when they had finally announced their love to one another. He remembered fondly how he had been the only one who did not seem visibly surprised or (in Much's case) slightly disgusted. He had been through this many times with Marian, and…… and there was her name again. No matter how hard, how hard he tried to get away, it always came back. An ever revolving circle. A trap he could not escape.

"Robin! You are awake!" That voice, highly accented even now. Obviously a woman, no matter how hard she tried to disguise it. He turned his damp eyes to face her. A young Saracen woman, a massive grin plastered on her delicate face. And behind her, a tall, skinny man, the same grin, running headlong down the hill.

His worries momentarily forgotten, he reached out, and hugged Will and Djaq as they descended down towards him, a puffing Allan wandering along behind them, trying not to show how tired he was. Djaq took Robin's head in her hands, smiling one of her brilliant smiles.

"Oh thank goodness you are alright!"

"Yeah, we were getting pretty worried there for a minute," Will added, mirroring the smile of his girlfriend. Even that word was enough to make his lower lip tremble, and John must have noticed because he suddenly dragged the couple away from Robin's bedside, and began having a frenzied whispered conversation with them. You didn't need to be incredibly clever to figure out what they were talking about. Robin knew that they would react like this, and yet the tears had needed to fall. He could see what would happen next- Djaq looking slightly anxious, trying to ask him questions as gently as possible, Much at his side, babbling like a young child, trying to think of explanations. Allan would make sarcastic comments, trying to mask the fact that he was genuinely concerned. Will would stand at the back of the group, silent yet strong and worried. And John would be with him, joining his friend in his silence, but giving Robin that comforting 'I know what you're going through' look that could only be used by older men. Old men. Old men became widows, not those in their early twenties.

By now Djaq was back, crouching at his side, eyes wide and wondering.

"Robin, is there something wrong?" He simply turned his head away from her, and she immediately entered her doctor mode, asking him questions which he either would not or could not answer.

Will and Allan had retreated to an opposite corner, muttering and occasionally shooting glances in the direction of the doctor and her patient. Much (as he'd expected) was yapping away about something, and eventually John was forced to physically drag him away.

Robin knew that he would have to talk eventually, and yet surely it must be obvious what had upset him. They'd been there. And why were Will and Djaq not in there swanky home in the Holy Lands?

These questions and more swam around his head, and yet he couldn't make sense of them. He could only concentrate on one thing.

"Marian. She's dead," he muttered, sounding as if he was under water.

This set in motion a huge chain of events. Much's soup was knocked on the floor by it's chef, causing said man to jump backwards into John, who in turn fell into the pile of swords that had been thrown on the floor earlier. Allan spat out the water that he had been drinking, soaking Will. The smaller man was grabbed, only to jump a good 4 ft in the air when the boiling hot soup touched his feet. There was a great amount of yelling, empty threats screamed at Much, before slowly all attention returned to the man sitting on the bed, knees drawn up to his chin.

"How can you not remember?" You were all there!" This was again met by empty looks, which left Robin with only one choice.

_We went to the Holy Land to save the King, remember! But the Sherriff got there first, sent a fake messenger, we were all sentenced to death- we were all tied up on those big wooden posts out in the desert!_

This was met by looks of recognition, but they quickly disappeared.

_The Sherriff brought Marian out, tied her up as well. We got married, or at least started to. Much was crying. Then Carter…..Carter, he got off his horse, cut us free. We found the King, chased the Sherriff and his men into the town. Carter was stabbed by someone, I didn't see who. The King was shot, Gisbourne came towards him, but Marian, Marian, __she ran forwards, got in the way. Gisbourne stabbed her through the chest, she fell. Djaq, you couldn't do anything. I finally put a wedding ring on her finger. And we buried them, near the camp, the King standing by our side. And then Will, you and Djaq, you stayed, stayed with the pigeons._

Blank looks, worried glances that said 'he's finally lost it' met him at the end of his story.

"Oh, so I suppose you don't believe me then!" he yelled, finally finding his strength and standing up on his bed. "You were there! You were there when we were on the posts, you were there when the King was shot, you were there when we buried them…"

"Robin, please sit down." A weak voice near his feet found him, along with a pair of deep brown eyes, filled with fear. "Robin, sit." Djaq whispered. She was suddenly very close to him, with the air of a mother who is trying to explain to her young son that his ghosts aren't real.

"Robin, what you said, some of it anyway is true. Yes, we went to Acre to find the King, he tied us up, but the rest, the rest is pure fantasy."

"But.."

"Robin, please listen to me!" He agreed, sitting stock still, not daring to hope. "You passed out about 3 hours into our torture; you've been like this ever since. A deep sleep, brought on by intense dehydration. You've been asleep for a week. All of the stuff that you said happened after we were tied up, none of it happened."

**Dun**** dun dun!!!! Bet you didn't see that coming- well actually, I'm pretty sure you did, but oh well.**

**Now, I know it's cheesy and corny and implausible (but not impossible), but I miss Marian and this seemed like an interesting way of bringing her back!**

"**Complain to the BBC about her death if you care!!!"**

**I'll post the next chapter when I get 3 reviews (starting low) which may be the end of this evening!**

**First to post gets a cyber cookie (one of those triple chocolate chip ones)!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to everyone who's read this story so far, especially **_**socksycherry**_** (cookie coming your way), **_**MissWed, purplebuffy, KeepingAmused, spinningisfun, gatewatcher **_**and also to anyone who put this story on alert- no one's ever put one of my stories on alert!!!!!**

**Ok, I'll calm down now. I'll try and update by this evening, but I can't promise anything! Sorry!!!! Lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot (which should be true!!!!) If I owned Robin Hood then certain people wouldn't have died, they'd have married their true love and lived happily ever after!**

**Dreams-**

**1. A series of images and feelings occurring in the mind during sleep**

………………………………………………………………………………

His heart had stopped beating. All he could feel was a cold numbness I his chest. He hadn't dared to hope, and yet here was an incredibly intelligent woman, a woman of science telling him it was all fake.

Did that mean that Carter wasn't dead? Did that mean that….that no one was dead?

"Robin, please listen to me. I know that you've been through a great emotional trauma (or atleast you think you have), but you need to hear what really happened out there."

He was all too willing to listen, praying with all his heart that the outcome would be the one he wanted.

_We were tied to the posts, out in the desert. You, being our fearless leader had made sure that we were drinking enough during the day, and yet you'd barely drunk anything yourself.__ About three hours, you simply collapsed-although the ropes prevented you from falling. You began mumbling, but we didn't think much of it. Much, he was very worried- he kept trying to reach out to you, but of course he couldn't. Then, we heard these voices, screaming at us from somewhere in the distance. Two people squashed onto the back of a big, grey horse. Carter and Marian.._

Even now her name struck a chord, and yet he didn't speak, he simply looked at Djaq, feverish to know what truly happened.

…_They jumped off, she ran to your side, called Carter over. They were worried, you could see it in their eyes. We asked them questions "Where did you come from?" "Marian, how did you escape?" "Why did you come back?"  
We received only grunts as answers as they struggled to safely get you down. When you were lying on the sand, Carter ran and freed the rest of us, leaving Marian sitting on the ground holding your hand. I tended to you, made you drink. You seemed to stir, but then fell asleep again._

_It was Marian that remembered the King's meeting. She was torn between going with Much, Allan, John, Will and Carter, or staying with you. Eventually, she decided to stay, and we lifted you onto Carter's horse, took you all the way back to the King's camp…_

Her voice faltered. She only knew one side of the story, and her eyes found Will's, pleading silently with him, begging him to tell his side.

_Alright, well we left pretty quickly, ran to this meeting point place. And there was the King, just riding completely unprotected into this valley. I though__t the royals were supposed to be smart! Anyway, before you know it, this big black guy comes running out, swords drawn, screaming his head off. But then Carter, he jumps down the hill, distracts the man, which gives us enough time to run down from behind him. Four swords in the chest, no one can survive that. Not surprisingly, the King's pretty stunned, so while we're looking for the Sherriff, Crater's giving the King a very compact version of events. Then suddenly, there's this great big cloud of sand, and these four men rid of on their horses towards this town. So we all follow, and then there's this massive battle. There are swords and arrows everywhere, and…_

Robin had seemingly lost interest. He could see the outcome. James, that snake, he would die. And the Sherriff's man, the Saracen one, he'd die as well. But Vasey and Guy, they'd crawl back into their hole, ready to fight another day.

Djaq took over again...

_Well, all the boys came back, met us just at th entrance to the King's camp. We weren't allowed in, but the King just gave one swipe of his hand and suddenly we were esteemed guests! We put you in one of the tents, I e examined you, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The camp's physician was sent for, he said that he'd seen this many times before, and that we should let you sleep, give you lots of liquids, and you would wake up when you were ready._

_Meanwhile, Marian had been telling us this story about how she'd tried to convince Gisbourne to kill the Sherriff. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but Vasey had come downstairs to see her, very much alive. There were threats made, and then a servant boy had called him out. She'd escaped (she wouldn't say how) and came straight here. She'd asked people, been told where the King's camp was. Recognised Carter, explained to him what had really happened. They were heroes, and ye t there was a problem. Marian was now obviously seen as a traitor by the Sherriff, it wasn't safe for her to stay in Nottingham. So Carter, he wanted to go and see some friends in England, so he took her with him._

She was alive!!! His Marian, his dear Marian was still alive. The story of how they got home washed over him. With his usual grin returned, he turned to his gang, apologising profusely for all that had happened. But one word still stayed in his mind. Marian. His fiancée. His one true love.

"This is going to sound pathetic, but where's Marian?"

A slight glance, that was it. A momentary meeting of eyes, a momentary merging of thoughts. It was nothing, and yet it told him everything. There was something strange going on.

"Robin, the truth is, we don't know where she is."

………………………………………………………………………………

Time had stood still. She was alive, and yet she wasn't here. She could be in some far away country, living with people who she didn't understand. Or she could be living 20 miles down the road, in some non-descript house. Either way, she wasn't here. And between those two dramatic views, there were a million possibilities for where she was.

He immediately jumped into action. He went down into Locksley with John the next morning for his first delivery since he came home. He had obviously been missed, for he was greeted with a huge amount of praise. They asked him questions about the Holy Land, and he in turn asked about Marian and Carter. No one knew anything.

He took to sitting on the hill above Locksley at sunset. This was where he'd proposed the first time. Once again, the recurring thought returned. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT!!! But then the rational side of his mind joined in, with the plaintive cry of 'you weren't ready'. And he knew that this was true, no matter how much he missed her.

It had been three weeks. Closer to a month really. They'd been home for a month, and his master had done nothing but mope around. He could understand in the beginning, when his master had believed that his love had died, only to discover that she was in fact alive, but lost in the crowds of the millions of people on the face of the planet. But now, surely he should be over it.

But he wasn't. He seemed better, more alive. He seemed happy when they went down into one of the villages, but when they left, the sorrowful expression returned.

And suddenly he saw why. The Sherriff. In the month since they'd returned, he'd been quiet. Too quiet. In fact, no one had even seen him. He had wondered briefly whether their ship had sunk on the way home, but this was dashed when a travelling salesman had reported that he'd just been in Portsmouth, and no ships had sunk in 5 months.

So surely the Sherriff must be scared, too scared to return. Or he was plotting something bigger than ever before.

…………………………………………………………………..

The letter. It now had pride of place under his pillow. Djaq had given it to him the night he'd woken up.

"She told us to give it to you as soon as you wake up, so here you are."

A simple piece of parchment. She'd written it in a hurry- some of the ink was smudged. He could picture the scene- himself lying on some bed, Djaq leaning over him, Much worrying in a corner with John or Will trying to calm him down, Allan trying not to look concerned, and Marian hastily writing, Carter yelling at her from outside to hurry up.

No one else had read it; John had assured him of that. And yet when he opened it, he could see the slight smirks on his friends' faces. They didn't have to read it; they knew what would be written on it. How much she loved him, how much she would miss him, how they would be together one day….

And they were nearly right. But they'd missed one important part.

He took the letter out again, the fifth time in as many hours.

Her handwriting, the slights curls she put on her g's and y's, the way she crossed her t's right at the top. He stopped admiring her penmanship, and once again read her words…

"Robin

I am so sorry that I have to leave, believe me I do not want to. I know that we had a plan, and it still stands- it may just take slightly longer to achieve…

I Marian take thee Robin to be my lawful wedded husband. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Whether he compares me to his bow or not, I love him and want to be with him for the rest of my life.

Please believe me when I say this- you are the only man I have ever loved. I know that you are jealous of Guy, but believe me; you have nothing to be jealous of.

I love you, and one day we will be together, I promise you.

I have to go, Carter is yelling at me from his horse. I will have to spend a very long journey with him, and I've put him in a bad mood now!

I will see you soon, even if it involves escaping from another dungeon!

Marian"

He knew that she was safe. Carter was a good man; he wouldn't put her in danger. And with these thoughts safely stored in his mind, he slept.

**Awww, just a bit of fluff at the end to keep us all going. I'll try and post the next chapter by the end of today, cyber brownie to first to review- just push the purple button!**

**Re watched 'We Are Robin Hood'- didn't cry. But I'm now even more convinced that there is something fishy going on.**

**If anyone else shares these views, go to , go on the Robin Hood section, ands go on the series 3 speculation and spoilers thread!**

**Anyway, ttfn, ta ta for now!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, 2 chapters in one day- I'm an updating machine!!!! Once again, thank you to everyone who's read this so far, and especially to all of you who've reviewed.**

**Now, don't worry, Marian is coming back soon, but not quite yet!**

**The reason I've put this chapter up now is because I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. I'm back at school now (cries), and I have a Drama assessment tomorrow, and a French Oral exam on Friday. I'll try and update at the weekend, but I'm going away so I can't promise anything. After that I have mock exams for 2 weeks, so my life will be dominated by revision (but then again, I'm supposed to be revising now!!)**

**Please don't loose faith in me, I won't let you down. I WILL finish this story, even if it kills me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, except for Mark the servant boy**

**Dreams-**

**2. A long held ambition or wish**

…………………………………………………………………………

There were many stories about how the darkness came to Nottingham. Old men told their grandchildren stories of the old Sherriff, joy evident in their voices. "A man named Edward" they would say. "A very brave man, a kind man. He understood what it was like to have a family, he had a young daughter, a very pretty girl- Marian, I think her name was. And no wife mind you, she died a long time ago. He raised her all alone, the poor man. Did a brilliant job, I'm not criticising him for that. Maybe he just got too attached to the girl, her being the only living reminder of his wife.

This girl, she had a suitor, a young man named Robin- strapping young lad he was. Head in the clouds of course- went of to war he did, left his young loved behind. Marian, she went to pieces. Edward cared too much, got distracted, didn't notice when the darkness crept in…"

The darkness was given many different incarnations by the villagers. Some saw it as a big black cloud, smoke-like, the sort that chokes you, but leaves no mark upon your skin. Some thought that it was some sort of monster, the ones that you hear about in children's stories, the ones with the big claws and the lust for blood.

But the clever ones, they knew exactly what it was. A man named Vasey.

…………………………………………………………………………….

He'd come out of this shell, finally. He was the first one up in the morning, the first to bound down the hill towards whatever village it was. His spark was back.

Alan couldn't help but feel slightly proud of his leader as his ego was over inflated by several very good looking young women. Yes, he had betrayed them, and he could never truly forgive himself for that. But just the fact that his friends were willing to forgive him- well, that made a big difference.

The girls were still by the fence, batting their eyelids, touching his arm or stroking his hand at every possible opportunity. The man would never be short of suitors (he'd heard Much's stories about the girl they'd met on their first return from the Holy Land). And yet, he couldn't help but notice Robin's eyes darting occasionally towards his pocket, where doubtlessly Marian's letter lay, hidden from those who did not know him.

Even though he was with the gang, he could still feel people's eyes following him. They had all been assured that Allan was no threat to them, and yet they remembered. They remembered how he had stood at Guy's side, smirking at them as if to say 'I'm better than you now.'

Alan sighed. He didn't know whether he would truly ever be accepted back into the fold, but he would just have to do his best.

Alan wasn't the only one to notice Robin's change in behaviour. Thornton had known him since he was a baby, a tiny soul mewling in the arms of his mother. And here he was, a young man now. Yes, his house had been taken away, but he was not the sort of person to let that get him down. He had everything that a man could want- friends, food, a purpose- and a fiancée?

That was what the local gossipers had said. He hadn't believed them at first, who on earth could be so important to master Robin, especially when Lady Marian was trapped in the castle. Except she wasn't. He'd seen her outside, meeting someone on the outskirts of the forest. He'd seen her with Robin's gang as well. Only for a few weeks, but she'd been with them. That had been at about the same time that her father had died, and she had taken herself off to a 'nunnery.' Pah! There was no way that a woman like Marian would go off to find God.

And yet surely, if they were engaged, Robin should look happy. He'd loved the woman since he first laid eyes on her, so why had he looked so sad? The gossipers seemed to have an answer for that as well. A tall man, on a big grey horse, riding through here in the dead of night. He hadn't seen them, but he had heard the clattering of hooves going past one night- could that have been them?

It made sense really. For some reason Lady Marian had had to leave….where ever it was (in a great hurry by the sound of it), and Robin had been left distraught at losing his love. Of course, she wasn't dead or anything, she just-wasn't here.

He was getting over it now, trying to get back into his old life. And yet, to a practiced eye, there was something different about him. Thornton had walked away from the throng now, distancing himself from the squeals of delight. If it wasn't for Vasey, this wouldn't be necessary. Robin would have made sure that everyone got enough to eat, and that…..

………no, it couldn't be. His eyes must be deceiving him. But no, he wasn't that old, not yet anyway. A huge crowd of men, some on horseback, some running beside a large carriage. And that coat of arms, he would know it anywhere. He had to tell Robin!

………………………………………………………………………………

Vasey was not as deaf to the peasants as they thought him to be. He had heard the stories of 'The Great Darkness.' He had been flattered, to tell the truth. He had never had such recognition before- but then it slowly dawned on him that this was just another way of insulting him.

Peasants! What did they know anyway?! Well, this wonderful known as free speech, hopefully that wouldn't be allowed for much longer…

It is strange how a day that you have been waiting for for years is a day that you forget when it reaches you finally. On that morning, Vasey woke up the same as he had every morning recently, by the sound of the small bell outside his bedroom door. The light no longer woke him- the windows had be boarded shut to make it seem as if he wasn't there. It had been an ingenious plan if he didn't say so himself! The breakfast was acceptable, but it was too early in the morning to start complaining. But when a knock at the door caused him to spill his drink down his nightshirt, he forgot his earlier rule, and began screaming at the poor lad in the doorway.

"What do you want Midge?"

"I...its Mark sir..."

"OOH, I'm so sorry I got that wrong. Do I actually care- a clue: no!"

The boy, no more than 10, stood there shaking, trembling like a leaf caught in an updraft. Ha, yes, a leaf. That would be the boy's knew name. He was definitely having a clever week!

"Now, would you kindly tell me what it is that caused you to barge into my bedchamber, and make my drink spill itself all over my good nightshirt!"

Mark tried very hard not to grin. His Father had been right- the Sherriff wouldn't take the blame for anything that went wrong.

"Well, sir, it's just that, a very large group of men has arrived outside…"

"What!!! That's today! Well, why on earth are you just standing there boy, go and stall him!"

What ensued next was possibly the fastest dressing that the world had ever seen, for two minutes later he swept into the main hall, the picture of calm.

"Aah, Prince John, what an honour your majesty."

**Shorter chapter this time, but**** at least I posted something. And the Sherriff's back! Gisbourne (a.k.a- la traitor) will be back next chapter as well, and I may even slip Marian in there somewhere!!! (But only if you review!- Next update when we reach 20 reviews)**

**Just out of interest, does anyone know what the name is of the guy that Alice Little went off with?**

**Oh, one more thing, sorry if the web address at the bottom of the last chapter didn't post- it is (w w w . t vv . c o m) except without the spaces or brackets lol!**


	4. Chapter 4

**We had to come back early from our friend's house so that I could revise, so I decided to update this!**

**My French oral was awful- I couldn't think of anything to say, but at least it's only my mock**** :D My drama assessment was even worse- only 2 people in our group knew their lines. But luckily, because we knew our lines, we both got As, and the rest of our group all got Ds!!!!**

**I've got exams for the next 2 weeks now, but I'm on study leave, so I'll try and update on Tuesday because I'm at home, and then you'll probably have to wait until the weekend.**

**I feel I may have been slightly greedy asking for 20 reviews, so I'll settle for 25 reviews by Tuesday!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Robin Hood, I'm just borrowing him, but I promise I'll bring him back (looks quickly around for escape route!)**

"**Here we are all, by day;**

**By night we're hurled by dreams, each one, into a several world."**

**Dreams by Robert Herrick (17****th**** Century)**

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They had all been slightly anxious in accepting the old man's warning. For the majority of them, it was because they didn't know whether they could truly trust him. He was old, losing his sight, senile now… the excuses kept coming.

Also, the man lived with Gisbourne- surely he couldn't be wholly trusted?!

But mainly, it was the thought that Prince John was about to destroy their little pocket of happiness and satisfaction.

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Allan betraying them had been a massive inconvenience. When Robin had first mentioned this, Allan had been slightly offended that his leader couldn't even think of a decent reason for missing him. What about all the work he'd done before all of that?

But when it became clear what Robin meant, Allan found that he had to agree. Because of him, all of the entrances into the castle were blocked up or heavily guarded. And where once Marian would have helped them to sneak in… well, she wasn't here now.

Djaq and Will were sent off to do a quick perimeter check, just to make absolutely certain that there was no way in. Everyone else retreated to one of the taverns on the outskirts of the town, away from the huge crowds who had gathered outside the castle. But even here, people were leaning out of windows, straining to see anything that was going on. Rumours were flying around already that people had been arrested for trying to climb the walls, and that the number of guards had been tripled. This definitely wasn't going to be as easy as they had originally envisioned.

It wasn't until half an hour after the recon party had been sent off that they started to worry. It was Allan who noticed it first. He was very close to both Will and Djaq, and it was obvious to everyone that his feelings for the Saracen woman remained. It wasn't clear at first what it was that was bothering him. His eyes began constantly flicking towards the door, and then up towards the windows, trying to see out into the throng of bystanders. Robin was worried that it may be his conscience, reminding him of his brief meetings with Gisbourne.

Instead, it was John who picked up on the true cause of the man's uneasiness. Two travellers dressed in thick cloaks battled through the crowds, and a spark suddenly shone in Allan's eyes. But when the lowering of their hoods revealed that they were grey and grizzled old men, the spark disappeared.

"Robin, Will and Djaq have been gone for a while. I know that there are a lot of people here today, but…"

"I know John. But Much is outside listening out for anything which affects us. If there was something wrong, we would know."

Just as Robin and John finished their whispered conversation, Much strode in through the door, and, narrowly avoiding stepping on a very angry looking dog, made his way back over to the table.

Robin could have sworn he heard John mumble something along the lines of 'speak of the devil,' but by the time he had turned to his large friend, Much's squeaky voice had penetrated the uneasy silence.

"Master, what's wrong?"

It was Allan who spoke, muttering "Djaq and Will aren't back yet," into his drink.

"Oh. Well I'm sure their fine. I remember Master, when we used to come here for deliveries, and you'd go off for 'a few minutes' to talk to Marian. We wouldn't see either of you for hours. It was very strange…"

John and Allan weren't sure whether it was Much's innocence or Robin's deep red face that did it, but they were suddenly howling with laughter. Robin very sensibly decided that now was probably a very sensible to take over Much's job, and strode off towards the door.

The peals of laughter slowly came to an end, leaving a very bemused Much standing by Robin's empty chair.

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The rumours had started circulating very soon after his arrival. After all, it wasn't everyday that royalty graced the unruly depths of Nottingham. The crowds started to amass soon after, and the vain part of him wanted to stay outside in the pathetic excuse for sun, and bask in their looks. And yet, he knew that they were only here to gape at the 'tyrannical devil dressed in fine clothes and crown.'

His cases were transported up into his room, and he was escorted to a small room which he was told (ironically) was the grand hall. He would have found this slightly amusing if not for two things. Firstly, the fact that he was a prince, and prince's never laughed. Secondly, he wasn't exactly in a cheerful mood. The ride here had been bumpy and uncomfortable. It had also been long, as the driver had insisted on taking a very long detour around the forest ("Outlaws, you know, your majesty."). And his mood was hardly improved by the arrival of a shabby young man who informed him that the Sheriff was "momentarily indisposed, and would be arriving." Ha! Who did this man think he was?! He himself was partial to a lie in, and his reputation as a 'late riser' was well known throughout all of the country. Because of this, he was familiar with all the excuses that could be given to esteemed guests to explain his unfortunate lateness. In fact, his servants were chosen on how well they could lie. His current boy had recently told some foreign nobleman that "The prince is currently collecting your welcoming present, and will be with you shortly." This had caused a slightly uncomfortable moment when he had entered the meeting room with nothing, but the boy had proved his resourcefulness once again by bringing in a particularly ugly statue that the prince was desperate to get rid of.

Of course, all the servants had to be good to him now. The previous lad had been suspected of stealing food form the kitchen, and then after a severe dock in both pay and number of fingers, the boy proceeded to tell the Baron of somewhereorother that "The prince and his two lady friends are all very tired after their night of frivolity, and they will all be down shortly, hopefully wearing clothes this time."

The boy's head was shown to all new applicants now.

His train of thought was disrupted when a very flustered looking Vasey finally entered the room.

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"So, when you went off to see Marian, you use dot talk about birds and bees?"

They had gotten bored with waiting (and Much's constant questioning) and had eventually given in to both demands. They had pushed their way through the ever growing crowds, and managed to find one gate on the north side with two very drunk guards. It had been relatively easy to knock them out, steal their uniforms, and tie them up.

That had been the easy part.

"No Much. Look, Robin and Marian love each other very much, and when a man and a woman love each other like that, they…"

"OHHHH!"

A sigh came from one of the helmets. Allan had spent the last 20 minutes explaining to one of his 'prisoners' what had been going on, while the other one looked out for more guards who would be willing to 'lend' them their armour. They had found several just a few corridors down, and Robin had desperately wanted to get as far away from the scene of the commotion as possible. John and Allan had had other ideas…

"Master, are you saying that you and Lady Marian…?"

"No Much, _I'm_ not saying anything."

"Master, why are you whispering? Somebody's embarrassed!"

"No Much, I am not embarrassed about talking about my non existent sex life. I'm just worried that someone will recognise us, and we'll all be killed!"

"Well Robin Hood, that may happen sooner than you think!"

The threat came from a tall man yelling up at them from the other side of the courtyard. A man dressed in black leather. Robin could almost hear Allan's heart beating as he saw his old master. Gisbourne was back!!!!

**Yeah, short chapter. But I've got another shortish chapter that I want to post today, so it's 2 for the price of one!**

**So, Guy's back. How will they get out of this? And where are Djaq and Will? And where's Marian?**

**The quicker you review, the quicker you find out!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, see I told you that I'd get this chapter up tonight! Thankyou to everyone who's reviewed- I'll include a huge thankyou list at the beginning of the next chapter. **

**A lot of you have been asking where Marian is. Well, she's mentioned in this chapter but her exact position isn't revealed yet (where would be the fun in that).**

**I hope you appreciate this. I should be doing science revision right now- if I fail then it's all your fault!!!! lol**

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, not mine, blah blah blah, property of bbc etc etc**

"**Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities." Gloria Steinem**

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He couldn't be sure how long the talk had been going on for now, but it was definitely too long to be standing up for. Prince John's boy (Simon, he thought his name was) had been given a seat. Alright, it was barely more than a stool, but still. It was the principal of the thing!

His name had been mentioned occasionally, usually when the idea of refreshments was brought up. The Prince would murmur something about being hungry, and The Sherriff would reply something like "Oh, we'll send Mike" or "Mitch, go and fetch us some water!"

The Sherriff seemed painfully unaware of anyone else in the room except for Prince John. It was ironic how everyone else in the room was decidedly lower down the 'Ladder of Importance' as his father called it. He was one of those men who didn't notice anyone except for those who had money (or stole it in Robin Hood's case).

But there was one distinct advantage of being invisible. Being Invisible. He had heard bits of their conversation, only snippets, but enough to know something about a port, peasants, and somewhere up north. None of it made the blindest bit of sense- well, not to him anyway. But there were others, maybe even people in the castle who would know what to do with the information…

Yet he wasn't allowed to leave the room except to fetch something, and even then he was closely watched by thousands of pairs of swivelling eyes. You could never be truly alone in this place….

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"Why is it, that you can never be truly alone in this place?"

It was a good question, a very good question, but now was not really the best moment for one of Much's deep, involved debates. While Robin was happy that the conversation subject had switched from (the rather touchy subject of) his personal life, he wasn't really that pleased with the alternative that had been provided.

Gisbourne had been training. It was evident in the slight bulges in his arms and legs, making the leather ripple. It was obvious why he believed that Marian may have had feelings for him. Under any other circumstances he would have rushed straight at the moron (especially with the events of his dream still fresh in his mind), but his main priority was currently to get the other three out of harms way. If Allan was recognised, he would be killed for sure, and the rest would hardly be any better off.

But he knew that they would never agree to leave him. Already the helmets had been taken off; the eyes were scanning immediate area for escape routes or weapons.

But maybe life wasn't all bad. All the guards had either been assigned to some outside job- guarding the gates or keeping the peasants in control, or to the main doors just outside the Great Hall. There were none anywhere around. Which meant that Guy had to fight four men single handed.

With this sudden revelation, Robin drew out the slightly clumsy sword, and strode out towards Guy. John, Much and Allan spread out, covering the other three sides of the courtyard. And yet there was no fear in Guy's eyes, only a cold empty darkness that scared Robin even more than the massive sword that Guy had, held high above his head, ready to bring it down at a moments notice.

There was eerie quiet. Silence except for the wind…

"And then, like a cobra, he strikes!"

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He had been surprised at how easy it had been to get out. He had simply gone to move the water jug to allow them to have more space on the table, and had 'accidentally' dropped it onto the floor. A young girl had run off, and returned with several rags to clean up the mess. He was sent off to retrieve another jug.

And that had been it. He had walked out of the doors, and had told the guards some story about 'being sent to fetch something of the Sherriff's'.

And so here he was, strolling along through the corridors of the castle, finally feeling truly alone. But of course that couldn't last long.

He heard the scream first. Not a scream of pain or terror, but an animal scream, a scream of joy, like a wolf when it reaches its prey. There were more that followed, and then the familiar metallic clang of swords.

Mark forgot about trying to find someone to listen to his story, and ran headlong towards the balustrades that surrounded the courtyard. It looked as if four guards had ganged up against Guy of Gisbourne! No, only two guards, the other two had run off towards the gates, trying desperately to open it. The guards on the other side must have been preoccupied by the crowds, or they would have been in here helping Guy. He knew that in this sort of situation, he should go and find help, or join in himself- risk his life to save the nobleman. But did Guy really deserve saving? He had heard the stories, the rumours that floated around the servants quarters like tiny birds, landing on someone's head, and continuously driving you insane, not knowing whether to believe it or not.

The other guard had gone to help the others, leaving only one man fighting Sir Guy now. Their swords struck each other again and again, and it looked for a few moments as if the guard would be able to get Sir Guy down…

And then everything changed. A man in a black cloak descended the far stairs, with two shadowy figures watching from the other side.

He glided down the stairs, looking exactly like some spectre of death. And that was probably what he was. There were suddenly more of them, grabbing the guards, forcing them down onto the floor in one single swoop. Gisbourne was now standing in the centre, looking very smug, almost as if it had been him that had captured all the men.

But there was something wrong. It was only a twitch to begin with, a slight movement in the arms. Then it became stronger, more pronounced. And then they were on the floor, first one man in black, then another and another, until they were lying in heaps on the ground, black cloaks whirling around them

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Robin leapt up, flexing his arms, trying to get some feeling back into them. Guy looked scared, as did the Sherriff. He could just make out the end of the conversation that he was having with someone, calling out "Yes, but that was only a tiny dose…!"

Guy had by now grabbed one of the men, and was forcibly dragging him up the stairs. A young boy ran over to help him, flashing a nervous smile at Robin first. He was sorely tempted to follow, and would have, had it not been for the remaining three cloaked figures. The hood had fallen down on one of them- a young woman who worked in the kitchens. But she wasn't the interesting one. It was the two at the far end, the ones who had held down Much and Allan who had caught his attention. His men had pulled their hoods down by now, and were staring at them with a mixture of sheer terror and wonder.

There were two of them, a man and a woman lying in the sand, breathing slowly, almost as if they were asleep. A man and a woman who he'd known for a long time. It was Will and Djaq.

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She couldn't be sure how long she'd been asleep. She remembered flashes- rain, wind, someone holding her onto the horse. But that could have been ages ago. It could have last year, or yesterday for all she knew. He'd been worried she would catch a fever from being out in all weathers with no decent protection. She remembered falling into bed, this bed. Oh, how wonderful it felt to be wrapped up nice and warm under clean blankets.

He'd apologised for the length of the journey. "Bad weather" he'd said, as the rain started up again as if on cue. It always seemed to rain here, the sky was a constant shade of murky grey, as where the rivers and most of the buildings.

But she didn't remember eating, and her body was definitely telling her that it was time to eat. The door suddenly swung open, revealing a small woman in her mid 30s, wearing a plain white cotton dress, with her tied neatly back, showing off a slightly weathered face.

"Well, look who's finally awake. Technically, it's nearly lunchtime, but we're all having something cold for lunch, so I thought I'd save you something warm."

A bowl of hot broth was place in front of her, and although there would have been a time when she would have ignored it, the feel of something warm trickling down the back of her throat seemed too good to miss.

The woman seemed happy when she began to eat, and stood back up and headed towards the door.

"Oh." She said, clearly suddenly remembering something. "We're having some friends round later, so if you want to meet them then you'll have to be up by four. Don't feel pressured; you're perfectly welcome to stay in bed just as long as you want."

She would very much like to have stayed like this forever, buried under the layers of blankets. But she agreed to be up at the allotted time, and passed the empty bowl and spoon back to the woman.

"Thankyou, my dear. Now I don't think I've introduced myself. My name is Emily."

She smiled, causing Emily to join in.

"I'm very pleased to meet you Emily. My name's Marian."

**Just some proof for you- see, she's definitely alive. But where is she? And what on earth happened to Will and Djaq? And what are The Sherriff and Prince John plotting? Review and you'll find out faster!!!**


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